Most of the Canadian snowbirds driving around Florida for the past six weeks likely didn’t know they were running afoul of the law.

That changed on Thursday morning when news media discovered that an International Driving Permit has been required for any non-U.S. resident driving in Florida since Jan. 1.

As it turned out, the state thought its own new rule was unnecessary and that a valid Canadian license will be as sufficient as it ever was.

Confusion reigned throughout the day, as those who heard about the $25 permit in the morning made the effort to head to their nearest Canadian Automobile Association office in the afternoon, only to find out that it was unnecessary.

Yet the CAA still managed to sell permits to many who planned trips for this weekend, many of whom would’ve also paid an extra $13 for a fresh pair of passport-style photos that are necessary to make the international documentation valid.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles further confirmed Thursday afternoon that the requirement may violate the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic.

The permits are designed to provide law enforcement with a translation of foreign licenses. French-language cards in Quebec were presumed to be the reason for the law to extend to Canadians — even though it also applied to drivers visiting from the U.K.

And, until the law is repealed, Florida visitors who want to spend $25 on the annual permit to be on the safe side with a state trooper still can.

Reports indicated some of those who rushed to their local CAA office to get one on Thursday considered it a nominal fee in light of the prospect that their insurance rates could still skyrocket if they ended up being pulled over for any reason while visiting the state — or wouldn’t be able to make a claim in the case of an accident.

The Cadillac Sedan deVille, as seen in Florida.

But even that cautionary measure seemed excessive as Florida clarified its stance.